A CORONATION Street fan has swapped dying roots for driving routes to follow in the footsteps of her favourite character.

Rachel Morris, from Coppice in Oldham, has ditched her career as a hairdresser to become a bus driver and it seems that the 24-year-old is not the only female wanting to steer their career in a different direction.

Bus firm First Manchester has seen the number of women applying to become drivers rise by four times since the storyline. And they have taken on 11 new women - doubling the number of female drivers.

Rachel says she gave up her job as a direct result of the plot involving ex-nanny Claire Peacock, played by Julia Haworth, who originally wanted to be a tram driver but then switched to become a bus driver.

She said: "I love Coronation Street. I'm its number one fan. I don't work late shifts because I don't like missing it.

"People definitely pay attention to storylines in Coronation Street because it's true to life. I'd never really thought about being a bus driver until the storyline put it in my head. I like Claire and I'm outgoing like her.

"If it helps get more women to become bus drivers then that's great because I think it's been quite male dominated in the past. It's a good job and the hours can be flexible."

Rachel is among the first of the new recruits to qualify and is now out on the roads.

Reaction

Fellow recruit Rachael Joyce, 20, from Chadderton, was already working as a data input clerk for First when she decided to become a driver. She said: "It's a really good job for a woman and so far I've had a brilliant reaction. The male bus drivers are really friendly and will have a laugh and a joke with you.

"I think it's good to have more women in the job because passengers can find it reassuring and I think generally women should be able to do any job a man can do.

"Having the story in Coronation Street has definitely made more women think about it as a job. It makes you think that it is something that's open to you as a woman."

Paul Knight, of First, said: "We noticed this really dramatic increase in applications and it seemed too much of a coincidence that this storyline was going on. We had been advertising but it wasn't female specific."

The recruitment manager at the Oldham headquarters added: "I rang our other division and they were experiencing the same trend. It's brilliant and the storyline seems the obvious starting point.

"At a recent recruitment session eight out of the 12 applicants was female. We've had more female applicants so far this year than the whole of last year.

"We offer flexible working which can help with family commitments and a range of other benefits like free bus travel for spouses and children."